Sir: Again the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani has recently made a statement suggesting that the price of sand in the original bills of quantities for the East–West Road contracts were priced in dollars. This is patently false once again. The correct situation is as follows:

At the time the East–West Road was designed, it was illegal for any item in the bills of quantities to be priced in any currency denomination except the naira. Items of work are never priced in dollars, pounds sterling, euros or yen. I suppose that this is still the case today.

Secondly, because soil (laterite), sand, and crushed stone (rock) are locally produced materials, they do not attract any variations in price of materials in accordance with the “Conditions of Contract for Works of Civil Engineering Construction” and “Standard Conditions of Contract (Road Works) Volume 1”. This means that there is no price for sand, laterite or crushed stone perse unlike such imported materials like bitumen and steel rods.

May I beg the minister to do his work and kindly obtain funds to complete this important project located in the Niger Delta area from where we both come, rather than continue to make such statements.
• G. E. Otobo wrote from Guy Otobo & Partners Ltd.